State training infra upgrade to bridge skill gap

The Orissa government plans to improve the existing training infrastructure to meet the huge skill gap existing in the generation of various self-employment opportunities. This includes the establishment of a State Academy of Construction for the construction industry and a State Driving Training School for industrial equipment operators and drivers of heavy motor vehicles (HMV) and light motor vehicles (LMV). Besides, the existing infrastructure of the textile and handloom departments and the handicraft institutes are also proposed to be augmented.

The proposed training courses will be developed in partnership with some industrial group to provide smooth employment to the trained persons. The state officials are in discussions with Nokia and Cisco in this regard, sources said.

Out of the investments already made in the infrastructure projects and training institutes about Rs 2.02 crore was spent for Apparel Training and Design Centres (ATDC) and about Rs 50 lakhs on setting up of two fisheries training institutes at Paradeep and Balugaon.

Sources said, the state employment mission society is imparting vocational and technical training in partnership with different government departments and agencies. While 16,602 persons were trained in vocational and technical trades in 2007-08, this number increased to 25,776 in 2008-09.

Similarly, credit linkage through the banks for self employment ventures increased from Rs 700.27 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 4304 crore in 2008-09.